Expedition Report
Treasure Island is tempting forever... by Reinhold Ostler
About 600 Expeditions tried to find burried treasures on Cocos Island during the past 160 years. Cocos Island was declared a National Park more than 12 years ago, but the government of Costa Rica still receives requests for treasure hunting permits. And permits are given, even if the status as a National Park prohibits treasure hunts an the island. Of course, permits are not inexpensive. A Treasure Press Team accompanied the last large expedition, consisting of an international group of 25 people. Reinhold Ostler tells you what happened.
This is the story about the legendary treasure island and another treasure expedition like many other before. This time, however, the trace was hot as never! Some Germans had found a door of stone, in a wall of rocks in a small bay with difficult access. First let me tell you the early history...
Since several years, some engineers from Northern Germany have been investigating the secrets of Cocos Island based on the books "searching for hidden treasures" "there is gold", and "lost treasures of the world" (all in German). The theory of the nordish guys, that the treasure can not be far away from the coast, seems to be reasonable. Several expeditions followed and they seemed to have good luck. During on of their trips on the island, the outboarder stopped working and their small boat got blown into a small bay, where they saw something strange. In the rocks above the ocean, they saw two exact square wholes, about 20 x 20 inches big. About 20 feet above, another whole, which seemed to be kind of an air circulation tunnel leading 15 feet deep in the mountain. The cave was full of sand, brought in by the tides during the years. Our metal detector showed strong signals for metal. The expedition group decided to make an agreement with the government to be sure they would receive an acceptable part of the treasure. They came back to the island several times more, investigated and found something else:
A door in the rocks which fits to an old description of the hiding place saying something about 70 steps. They wanted to open the door on their next expedition.To the story belongs another person in form of a smart American business man. Costa Rica newspapers reported in January 1992 that John Hodge (so his name) wants to find the so called "Lima Treasure" with the help of computers and airplanes. La Nacion estimated the project to cost some million dollar. However, some people in Costa Rica had doubts already to believe in the honesty of Mr. John Hodge. And they were right. Nothing important happened. Hodge was only visiting the island often and made a contract between him and the German group because he was (still) the owner of the treasure hunting permit. Now, nothing could stop the finding of the Lima Treasure but the members themselves. At the 20th of January, flight LTU 8401 brought us to Costa Rica, which is worth being visited by the way, because prices are relatively inexpensive and the country is fascinating.
John Hodge had leased a 140 feet ship. It was not in a good condition, just good to be used to ship tourists along the coast maybe. Nothing to cross the ocean with. When we arrived on board, the capitain was sleeping drunk in a hammock. Funny to see all the empty beer cans and rum bottles rolling from side to side on the ship. The toilet/shower combination was something else. Toilet was running over and the brown content of a whole army came out. The pump was also not working and a constant smell of diarrhoea was over the ship. The position was found with a small hand satellite navigator and the course was than found out by hand. The ship had a very good Furuno-Radar, which did not work of course.
The echograph was also defect.Shipping from Cocos to Costa Rica was a routine. At least I guess, that a machine defect of 6 hours and a defect of the generator during night was normal for such a swimming garbage container. Of course the refridgerators did not work with the terrible result for the food. Tons of cheese and toast got mouldy, the frozen hamburgers (Hodge seemed to only eat them) turned into food for people tired of life. After only two days we ran out of drinking water. Not so bad since Johnny boy had bunkered thousands of beer cans. The rooms were in a terrible shape and we made a bet when we would meet the first rat. Of course the ship had a leak also under deck, so the cabins of the first class guests were under water. There were only three swim wests for all people, but this did not seem to bother anyone. I think I better stop complaining more about our ship "Dulcinea".
We could not believe that we really reached Cocos Island after 56 hours. The expedition group, a multinational team of Americans, Costaricans, Germans and a Russian was glad to at least see land again. It was very difficult to get into the bay. There were permanent waves of 10 feet.
The place of our hunting could only be reached with the help of a 120 feet long rope ladder, hanging over the cliffs. The palms were so high, that we could almost take a coconut, when the wind moved them to the rocks.
The "door" was not a door. Someone had engraved the form of a door in the rocks. There was a whole, but even if we tried hard to open the "secret mechanism", it did not work. Only our drill was a fast door opener. However, there was nothing else behind. An American group had investigated another place and also found something interesting. It was a tunnel ending in a cave system, made by humans. We tried hard to get into the cave, but the way was closed with heavy rocks and we could not open it with our tools. The other group was working on the secret "door". Later on, they found another cave which had also the form of a door. Sparkey climed up a tree and got in the cave. We heard him screaming: "Here it's a bullshit wall". One could get crazy. Seven feet of room and than closed by rocks. Only a small line in between the rocks was open. We knew that we would need special equipment so we took our special camera of Techno-Marine. It is a tiny camera with one inch diameter and 6 inches long, which has a fish eye objective and a rest light amplifier. We brought it into the rocks and saw, that the other part of the cave was empty. This happened on the last day of our expedition so we could not do too much more. We had to remove all equipment and before we left, we found with our detectors an interesting object of about 150 to 160 years!
It seems strange that a defect outboarder leads to such places. There is a map of John Keating, which has some marks at exactly these places. However, the German group did not know that. During the whole time, we were accompanied by members of the National Park Service. The rangers have a house in the Wafer Bay with even a post office. They built trails and cabins for camping guests and protect nature as good as they can.
Fishing around the island is forbidden (one of the richest fish areas of the planet). Soon, signs will tell people they are not allowed to smoke! But no one felt bad because of the oil carpet around the Dulcinea. It is all only a matter of the view.
After capitain Hernando could finally bunker some hundred gallons of fresh water, we could leave back to Costa Rica. We tried raising anchor, but the windlass was broken, what I did not want to forget to mention.
Capitain Hernando had doubts that we could get back fine, because the sea was heavy and he was not so sure if his Dulcinea would make it! He borrowed a pump from the diving ship Undersea Hunter which fortunately was in a bay near us. He was hoping to have enough diesel left because the meters did not work. After knocking at the diesel tanks, he seemed to be sure, because half an hour later he was completely drunk again. After several stops, a heavy sea, a broken generator and loosing the rescue boat three times, we finally got back to Puntarenas.
Thanks to my friends Gerhard Oller, and especially to Henry, who forwarded the messages during our trip to Germany by radio.
Morale of the story •
The Americans? Were mad about John Hodge, because he had made them pay a fortune to be able to participate the "expedition". The Germans? Have been also mad about John Hodge for ripping them of. Besides, they had to pay the charter for the swimming garbage. Nine expeditions and nothing learned? And the Dulcinea? Seems that they will scrap it soon. The owner is in jail already, since he did not have an open water permit! And the treasure? It is still there, but maybe not too long..... more we do not tell....
car from Mapache